What does a Brand Ambassador do?

years ago the words Brand Ambassador, for me, kicked up images of some popular college girl or internet celebrity wearing branded gear or mentioning brand name products in their posts or videos for a commission. If only I had known then what I know now I could have paid for my college tuition and had a degree! But its no sweat off my back because now that I’ve started brand ambassador work I enjoy it far more than any career I could obtain with a fancy expensive degree. During my first year working in this industry there’s been a lot of interest from others in what I do and how I began working this business. If people decide its something they’d like to pursue so many other questions arise. So I decided to make a series of articles to answer these questions. Let’s start with the basics.

What is brand ambassador work

There are two titles for this type of work: Brand Ambassador and Promotional Model and while the job descriptions are almost identical there are a few slight differences. With Promotional Modeling the marketing companies that hire you generally are looking for a specific look or body type to fulfill the roles of certain promotions. There are brands that want to hire only people with an athletic appearance, toned muscle, flat stomachs ect, ones that are looking for the girl next door look ect. it all depends on the target market and the products you represent. some of this type of work might even cross over occasionally into real modeling type jobs, like working on stage at a hair show for example. generally speaking the jobs are very similar to Brand Ambassador positions, however with brand ambassador work you can usually do almost any job no matter your age, gender or body type as long as you present yourself professionally and dress to code.

Brand Ambassadors and promotional models are expected to be knowledgeable about the brands they represent as well as to be out going and to draw people in. having skills or experience in sales is always a plus because the higher end companies sometimes will give you a sales goal. I’ve never worked for a company that penalizes its employees for not meeting goals however if you don’t meet them often enough for a company they may be hesitant to work with you in the future.

there are a few different types of jobs brand ambassadors can do and I’m only familiar with a few, some travel around others stick close to their own areas, it all depends on what you are willing to do. There are promotional events for food, liquor and a plethora of other products, you might be at a bar, at a table in a liquor or grocery store, you may be a costume character at a sporting event or working a booth/tent at a big outdoor event. I mostly do liquor promos so I’ll stick to what I know and tell you about that.

A day in the life of a brand ambassador

every week I’m sent several emails from all the companies I am employed with. I think I’m up to six different companies now. These emails list all the jobs in my area I can apply for, the dates, locations and times. I’m not required to work any of them if I don’t want to but you should know the more you work the easier it is to be first in line for other jobs in the future. I carefully consider each job posting and check my calendar and apply for each. I make sure to write down each job I’m confirmed for asap so I don’t run into problems overbooking myself. shortly after being confirmed for an event I am sent another email with instructions such as what brand I am representing and facts I should know, the uniform I’m expected to wear ect. some companies expect me to call the store or bar I’m working at a few days prior to the event to be sure they are stocked up on whatever product I’m sampling out. other companies do that part for me.

I arrive on location 15 mins early in my uniform (usually black pants, black blouse and black heels) with my hair and make up done. I find the product I am sampling and take pictures of the price tag and the shelves so I can do inventory later. I check in with the manager to be sure they are ready for me then go out to my car to get whatever I need for set up. once my table is set up with product and it looks presentable and inviting I ask someone to snap a photo of me at my table so I can send a check in photo to my boss. and then the fun part begins. I just get to stand around talking to people taking pictures and giving them samples! its a lot of fun. I keep track of how many people have sampled by counting how many sample cups I began with and subtracting how many are left. Sometimes a company will send me giveaways like t-shirts or hats and that also helps me keep track of how many people buy the product because I try to only give them out to those that buy. otherwise I use my beginning and ending inventory to figure it out. most companies will then have recaps for you to fill out when you are finished. the company I do the most work for has a paper recap which needs to be signed by the manager before I leave and an online recap where I submit any photos I took and info on the event itself. every company will be slightly different with what they expect in their recaps but its very easy once you get the hang of it. when it comes to buying product to sample NO company should expect you to pay out of pocket. The ones that do will always reimburse you after, ALWAYS KEEP YOUR RECIPTS!

An on premise job at a bar will be slightly different, you don’t need a table or ice bucket you don’t need to do inventory and you almost always have swag to give away! I enjoy these gigs the most! All in all I’ve found this to be the most rewarding, easy and fun job a person can get with no degree!!! If this sounds like something you would enjoy give me a follow so you don’t miss my next few posts about breaking in to the business, its pros and cons and tips to be the most successful in your field!